LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – On the opening day of the winter meetings, the Veterans Committee unanimously elected three managers to the Hall of Fame.

Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre, who combined to win over 7,500 games and eight World Series, were elected by the 16-member committee.

“The best way to describe this feeling is stunned,” LaRussa said. He managed the White Sox, Athletics and Cardinals, winning the 1989 World Series in Oakland and 2006 and 2011 with St. Louis. He retired after winning the Series in 2011.

“It’s the greatest honor I could have,” Cox said.

He managed the Braves and Blue Jays, reaching the playoffs 16 times, and won the 1995 World Series with Atlanta.

Torre, whose greatest success came with the Yankees, also managed the Mets, Braves and Cardinals. He had 15 playoff appearances, and won four World Series in New York.

“I was always trying to be blasé about it,” Torre said. “It hits you like a sledgehammer. What makes it even better to go in with these two guys.”

The results of the Baseball Writers voting for the Hall of Fame will be announced Jan. 8. Inductions are July 27 in Cooperstown, New York.

Marvin Miller, the former head of the Players Association, was again denied entry. Longtime Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin weren't voted in, either.

"Words cannot adequately describe the level of disappointment and disbelief I felt when learning that once again the Hall of Fame has chosen to ignore Marvin Miller and his unparalleled contributions to the growth and prosperity of Major League Baseball. Over the past fifty years, no individual has come close to matching Marvin’s impact on the sport,” MLB Players Association Executive Director Tony Clark said in a statement.